Historical Roots
Before there were United States, even before there were 13 colonies, there was the foundation of a National Guard on this continent. In the early 17th century, colonial life was hardscrabble. In addition to the constant threat of the elements, disease, and starvation, early colonists faced danger from French incursions from the north and west, Spanish designs from the south, and competition for land and resources with indigenous peoples. Whereas a clear need for security forces existed, there were neither the funds nor manpower resources available to create a full-time military force to protect the fledgling civilian population. While England maintained a professional army, that force’s base of operations was more than 3,000 miles distant across the Atlantic Ocean and was insufficient to defend the expanding colonies. To resolve the problem, the Massachusetts legislature ordered the establishment of militia companies to serve in three regiments in the towns around Boston. These militia companies were composed of citizens who would make themselves available as a ready response force. The concept of the citizen Soldier as an economical alternative to a
standing army began with that declaration on December 13, 1636, a concept that has equal relevance in the era of persistent conflict. Nearly a century would pass before Lord James Oglethorpe and a party of colonists sailed up the Savannah River to form the colony of Georgia. Oglethorpe was well familiar with the utility of the Citizen-Soldier, and would move swiftly to establish and train the Georgia Militia. It is not an exaggeration to say that the Georgia National Guard was founded with the first English footfalls upon the west bank of the Savannah River. The reasons for Georgia’s founding as a colony were strategic as well as economic. The colony served as a bulwark between the colonies to the north and Spanish and French interests to the south and west. Oglethorpe appreciated the need for a trained militia force and, upon arriving in Savannah in 1732, he initiated the first muster of Georgia’s Citizen-Soldiers. Oglethorpe’s actions would prove prescient when, in 1742, a Spanish force sailed from St. Augustine Florida to St. Simons Island with a force of more than 2,000 troops. To meet the coming threat, Oglethorpe had at his disposal regulars of the 42nd Regiment and the Scot Highlanders to bolster the ranks of his militia forces and indigenous volunteers. On July 7, 1742, Oglethorpe’s scouts sighted an isolated element of Spanish troops near Gully Hole Creek. Oglethorpe personally led an assault that inflicted 30% casualties on the Spanish, including their entire officer corps. In response, the Spanish landed 200 elite Grenadiers who proceeded to march inland in a column formation. As they reached
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a marsh bordered by dense woods, the Grenadiers took volley fire from Oglethorpe’s forces. Concealed by trees and gunsmoke, Oglethorpe’s small force routed the numerically superior Spanish at Bloody Marsh. Stung by the two quick ripostes, the Spanish withdrew from St. Simons and would not again seriously contend for Georgian soil. Since the rattle of muskets echoed over that marsh on St. Simons Island, the Georgia National Guard has been a ready and relevant presence in all of our nation’s conflicts. From the American Revolution and the War of 1812 to the great shattering of the American Civil War, volunteer militia units formed the backbone of our nation’s fighting force. In the 20th and 21st centuries, the Georgia Guard has played an increasingly pivotal role on the international stage while maintaining a vital state-side mission. From the era of the smoothbore musket, to the age of Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar Systems, the Guard’s capabilities have increased but our key value remains the same. Like those Citizen-Soldiers of old who had one hand on the plow and one on the musket, our Citizen-Soldiers and -Airmen live and work in our communities and are always prepared to leave home and hearth to protect that which we value. We are YOUR Georgia Guard.